A Rider’s Guide to Motorcycle & Scooter Insurance: What You Need to Know

Insurers consider a wide range of factors when calculating your premium. Understanding these can help you make informed decisions that may lead to cheaper insurance.

• Your Bike: The make, model, age, and engine size of your motorcycle are major factors. A powerful sports bike will almost always cost more to insure than a lower-powered scooter or commuter bike due to the perceived higher risk of accidents and the cost of repairs. Modifications can also increase your premium, as they can make your bike more attractive to thieves or more expensive to fix.
• Your Riding History: Your age, riding experience, and any past claims or convictions play a huge role. Riders with a clean history and a good no-claims bonus (NCB) will see significantly lower premiums. Building up a no-claims history is one of the most effective ways to reduce your long-term insurance costs.
• Security Measures: How you store and protect your bike is a key consideration. Keeping your motorcycle in a locked garage overnight is a fantastic way to lower your premium. Using Thatcham-approved security devices like alarms, immobilisers, or disc locks can also earn you a discount. The more secure your bike is, the less risk it poses to the insurer.
• Annual Mileage: The more you ride, the higher the risk of an incident. Being realistic and accurate about your annual mileage is important. Underestimating could invalidate a claim, but overestimating means you could be paying more than you need to.
• Your Location: Where you live and where your bike is stored can affect your premium. Urban areas with higher traffic and theft rates typically have higher premiums than rural locations.